Every Auckland Station Special | Wellington Railway Station
In this special feature, we're taking a short detour to explore Wellington Railway Station, the largest train station in the capital city.
Welcome back to our sister publication Every Auckland Station, in this edition, we are taking a brief detour to the capital, I had a few moments during a recent work trip to Wellington to check out the capital city’s biggest train station.
49 Train Stations, 22 Major Bus Stops and 14 Ferry Terminals, 1 place to find out the station's vibe, what’s nearby, a look into the station's past and what’s in the station's future plus a few extra stops along the way!
WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION | Located 493 km (direct line) from Waitematā (Britomart) Station in Auckland, Wellington Railway Station is a central hub for the city's rail network.
The current station building was constructed between January and December 1934, with several extensions, refurbishments, and wing rebuilds over the years.
The station houses several amenities, including the Trax Bar and Cafe, a dry cleaner, a bag and shoe repair shop, and a Metlink information hub and ticketing/Snapper card booths. A New World supermarket once operated inside the station but closed in 2024. In 2023`, KiwiRail relocated its National Train Control Center from Wellington Station to Wallaceville in Upper Hutt.
Wellington Station has nine platforms, serving the Johnsonville, Melling, Hutt Valley, Kapiti, and Wairarapa lines. It also hosts the Capital Connection and Northern Explorer services. Platform 9 is the longest, while Platforms 1 and 2 are the shortest.
Platforms 3 through 8 connect to Sky Stadium via the Fran Wilde Walkway, completed in 1999. Access to the Fran Wilde Walkway is along a long ramp at the Northern end of the platform, Snapper readers are also available at the stadium entrance for easy transfers.
Bus connections are made via an underpass beneath Featherston Street and Lambton Quay. The stops on Lambton Quay also serve as layover points for out-of-service buses, with several routes starting and ending there.
On the Waterloo Quay side, the bus stop called ‘Wellington Station Platform 10’ serves the Interislander shuttle, Intercity services, and rail replacement buses.
The main entrance on Bunny Street features a kiss-and-ride loop, large gardens, grassy areas, and benches.
There are no major redevelopment plans for the station at present, there have been proposals to develop the airspace above the station, but none have moved forward. KiwiRail is currently upgrading the station's signalling equipment.